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Equipment
Equipment "They say that an armed society is a polite society, and China is a very polite society." ~Lord Captain Walter Blackthorne, "On the Peoples of the Orient" Introduction Resources: Access to guns, bombs, and automobiles. Liquid resources, but not necessary wealth and standing; a high-ranking bureaucrat who invests all his money into maintaining a lavish lifestyle may have little in the way of resources. Resources is calculated at: (Grace)+(Cunning)+(Technical)+(Resources) Skill. See the "Skills" section for more details. Wealth: Characters have a number of silver taels worth of equipment equal to 5x Total Resources. One silver tael is worth 1,000 copper cash. Adjusted for inflation, one tael is worth roughly one hundred modern US dollars. Making Equipment: Characters with the appropriate craft skill ranks can make their own equipment. Characters must meet the minimum craft skill in order to manufacture an item; for every total point in the relevant skill, reduce the items cost by 5%. For example, a character with two ranks of the Craftsmanship skill and a total Craftsmanship of 8 would be able to make a saber at 40% off the normal price of 3 taels, for a total of one tael and 800 cash. If the same character wanted to make a straightsword (a more sophisticated blade), they would be unable to, and would have to buy one for the full price or invest more points in their craftsmanship skill. Items are created via four skills, listed below: Craftsmanship: The manufacture of weapons, armor, and other simple items. Primarily refers to metalworking, but also includes leatherworking, sewing, carpentry, and general handiness. Engineering: The manufacture of firearms, motor vehicles, electrical devices, and most high-tech gadgets. Medicine: The manufacture of poisons, drugs, and other substances that affect the human body. Alchemistry: The manufacture of explosives, corrosives, adhesives, and other such chemical items. Table explanations: Power: The extra coins to damage provided by the weapon. Accuracy: The extra coins to attack/parry rolls provided by the weapon. Concealment: How difficult to conceal the weapon is. Concealment comes at three levels: high, low, and none. -'High' concealment weapons are small items that can be concealed anywhere on the body, even when searched. Such weapons are invisible to casual observers, and if searched, the wielder may make a Sleight of Hand check to avoid detection. -'Low' concealment weapons can be hidden, usually via an external ruse – the sword in the umbrella, the gun in the musical case, and so on. A search always reveals these weapons. -'Non' concealable weapons have too much bulk to be hidden, and are always apparent. Cost: The cost (in taels and cash) of purchasing the weapon. Craft skill: The necessary skill ranks and appropriate skills to attempt to create your own. Almost all weapons derive from the Craftsmanship skill, but some are harder to make than others; it's easier to make a club than a properly balanced straightsword. Section One: Hand to Hand Equipment There is very little equipment involved in unarmed combat; hence why it's "unarmed combat." That said, a character's Hand to Hand skill can be augmented in two ways: via learning specific styles of Chinese boxing (see, "Boxing Style" under Talents), and by equipping gloves and boots that augment the power of one's strikes. Said gloves and boots can also be further augmented by technological upgrades (see technological augmentations, below). The bonuses from Boxing Styles and Hand to Hand equipment stack. Boxing Styles: These are not actual weapons, but rather styles of hand to hand combat that can augment skills. For a full explanation, please see the Boxing Style talent in the Talents chapter. Gauntlets and Steel Boots: There are a wide variety of small weapons meant to fit around the fist and augment the power of punches, including brass knuckles, sap gloves, and old-fashioned gauntlets. Sometimes these weapons are carried separately, other times they are built into gloves via metal plates. Similarly, boots can be outfitted with steel plates in the toes to harden kicks. These weapons increase damage delivered, but slow down strikes and limit options. Gauntlets are often used by technologically inclined boxers as a delivery systems for electric shocks and other high-tech augmentations. Punching Daggers and Boot Knives: Similarly, there are a manner of punching daggers and knuckle claws that can turn a naked fist into a cutting weapon. Boot knives are particularly insidious, usually fitting a retractable blade inside the toe or heel of a boot. These weapons convert unarmed strikes into lethal damage. Section Two: Melee Weaponry Melee weaponry is at the heart of wuxia fiction - what good is a swordsman without his sword? Even in the modern age of guns and grenades, close quarters combat dominates the conflicts of the urban jianghu. ''Melee weaponry comes in a wide variety of forms, from basic swords and spears to bladed hooks and chain whips. '''Knife: '''This refers to all manner of knives, daggers, and small edged weapons. Knives can be thrown, and are a popular backup weapon. '''Sword (Jian): '''Also known as the straightsword. Considered to be a more elegant and gentlemanly weapon than the saber. Concealed and collapsing straightswords are common amongst discreet fighters, and paired straightswords that share a single sheath are also fairly common. Western rapiers and epees and fall under the category of straightswords. '''Saber (Dao):' Also known as the broadsword or cutlass. A single-edged curved sword favored by the military. There are many regional varieties of the saber, with some being almost straight and others have severe curves. They are traditionally used by horseback riders, and have become popular with autocycle gangs for the same reasons. Like the straightsword, it is not uncommon to have a matching pair of sabers which are carried in a single sheath. Because of the curved shape of the blade, concealed and telescoping sabers are rare. Indian tulwars, western cavalry sabers, and Japanese katana all also fall under the category of sabers. Long Sword (Changjian): '''Two-handed straightswords are somewhat uncommon, but have been known in China. More commonly, these types of weapons are those used by Western barbarians, such as the Scottish claymore or the German Longsword. '''Great Saber (Dadao): Long two-handed sabers, typically ranging between four and five feet and length. A rare sight in the modern day. Great Sabers include the shorter Miao Dao ''("Grass Sabers") and the larger ''Zhan Ma Dao ''("Horse Cutting Sabers"). Foreign swords such as the Japapense no-dachi also fall into this category. '''Deerhorn Knives: '''Deerhorn Knives consist of a pair of overlapping crescent shaped blades, often used for trapping and disarming maneuvers. This entry also applies to wind and fire wheels, mandarin duck razors, and any similar hand-sized "mess of blades" weapons. Like the Tiger Hooks, these weapons are almost always used in pairs. '''Tiger Hooks (Hu Tou Gou): '''Also known as the hook sword, this is a weapon made popular by flashy martial artists. Consisting of a hooked blade with a halberd head for a crossguard, the Tiger Hooks seem unintuitive, but are deadly in the hands of one who knows how to use them. These weapons are almost always used in pairs. '''Hatchet (Fu): '''This includes everything from battle-axes to hatchets; the latter are favored weapons by gangsters in southern China. '''Spear (qiang): '''Though a somewhat old-fashion weapon, collapsing spears that fold down to less than a foot in length have become a common weapon in urban ''jianghu. Collapsible spears are considered high concealment weapons. Glaive (Pudao): '''Even more unwieldly and old-fashioned than the spears, glaives with telescoping hafts have made something of a resurgence in recent years amongst triads and gangsters looking to make a big impression. '''Rod (Bian): '''Light weight sword-length fighting rods are fairly common, often used in pairs. Collapsing rods, rods that disconnect into chain whips, and electrified rods can all be found in the mean streets of modern China. '''Tonfa: '''The tonfa is a side-handled baton, shaped vaguely like a crutch. They offer a high degree of protection, and are popular amongst law enforcement. Sai, Jitte, and similar truncheons also would fall under this category. '''Hammer: '''This refers to everything from warhammers to construction tools repurposed for combat. Like axes, they are powerful but inelegant. '''Heavy Rod (Dabian): '''Heavy Rods are more akin to their medieval ancestors – massive two-handed iron bars used to crush armor and bone. They are often made as six- or eight-sided polygons, or ridged like bamboo in order to add to to crushing power. '''Staff (gun): Like the spear, staves are most commonly seen in collapsing and telescoping varieties. Staves that break apart into three section staves are also quite popular. Three Section Staff (sanjiegun): A popular weapon for it's flashiness and versatility. The three section staff can be used as a flail, a whip, a set of conjoined fighting rods, or for various grappling maneuvers. Unlike most flexible weapons, the three section can be used to parry, at it's full accuracy bonus. Nunchaku (Shuang Jie Gun): 'A weapon imported from the Ryukyu island, the nunchaku has recently shown up as a popular weapon amongst street thugs in Chinese coast cities. Due to it's concealability when out of use and flashiness when in use, it's become particularly popular amongst youth gangs. Nunchaku may not be used to parry. '''Chain whip (jiujiebian): ' Chain whips are about four feet in length, and wielded with one hand. They can easily be wrapped around the waist or folded and tucked into a sleeve, making it very popular as a hold-out weapon. Chain whips cannot be used to parry. '''Rope Dart: Similar to the chain whip, the rope dart is favored for it's extreme ease of conceability and reach. Consisting of either a weight or small blade on the end of a hemp or silken rope, the Rope Dart can easily be concealed underneath clothing. Rope Darts cannot be used to parry. Meteor Hammer: '''The meteor hammer is the big brother of the Rope Dart, consisting of a chain with a large weight on one or both ends. Like the rope dart, it may be used for binding and grappling maneuvers, but cannot be used to parry. ''Designing Your Own Weapons:'' Our weapon list is fairly exhaustive, but players with unique ideas should be encouraged to pursue them. In most cases, when assigning stats for a weapon not listed in the above table, there should be a fairly clear equivalent entry: a Spanish rapier would function the same as a Chinese straightsword, a Japanese katana the same as a saber, and so on. In cases where there is no clear equivalent, the majority of the above entries were assigned statistics on the following formula: (Power) + (Accuracy) + (Concealment) = 5. High concealment is worth two points, low concealment worth one point, no concealment worth one. Flexible weapons have their concealment value bumped up by one category, at the cost of not being able to parry. Section Three: Technological Weapon Augmentations Melee weapons are deadly on their own, but in the ''jianghu, ''many warriors like to take their gear to the next level. Why just carry a spear, when you could carry a spear that charges with electrical currents and collapses down short enough to be fit into your boot? Many augmentations deal extra types of damage; electrified spears, flaming swords, poison knives, and so on - damage from these augmentations is rolled separately. Thus, if you deal 7 coins of normal damage with your saber, and another 6 coins of poison damage, you would roll and resolve the two damages separately. Additionally, many augmentations deal damage based on a technical skill: Alchemistry, Engineering, or Medicine. A brilliant engineer is going to be able to get a lot more voltage through his electrified sraightsword than a mediocre one. This refers to the skill ranks only, not the skill total; so an Incendiary saber created by a player with three ranks in Alchemistry does 3 coins of fire damage. When purchasing such weapons "over the counter" instead of making them oneself, assume the relevant craft skill has a rank of 2. '''Melee Weapon Technical Augmentations: Melee Weapon Technical Augmentations: Given the prevalence of both violence and technology in China, there is no short of mad and ingenious ways that heroes have sought to combine them. Generally, high tech weapons come in two parts: the base weapon, and the augmentation. Thus, one may choose to make an electrified straightsword, or a collapsing spear, or an incendiary chain whip (all popular choices in the streets of Shanghai and Beijing). Generally speaking, augmentations that add damage cannot be combined. If one tried to set an electrical straightsword on fire, it would melt the circuitry, or if one tried to apply poison to their electric spear, the poison would be burned away by the current, and so on and so forth. Many tech weapons can only be used a limited number of times before needed to be recharged, refueled, etc. These durations are tied to the wielder's skill, not the crafter's. Even if a master engineer creates an electrical saber for a swordsman, he's not going to be able to properly maintain the batteries and adjust the voltage settings without technical knowledge of his own. Incendiary: Inside the haft or pommel of these weapons there lies a hidden reservoir of flammable liquid; with the flick of a switch, the liquid is allowed to seep down the blade and ignite against a flint in the crossguard. When ignited, the blade deals fire damage, and anyone struck by the weapon is set on fire (see fire damage in Mechanics). The fire burns rdfor a number of rounds equal to the wielder's Alchemistry (minimum 2). Electrical: Inside the pommel of the weapon lies a hidden battery, which, with the flick of a switch, can send the sword surging with electrical power. The electric shock increases the stunning power of the weapon\, causing the attacker to automatically win on ties when rolling damage against fortitude. The battery lasts for a number of rounds equal to the wielder's Engineering (minimum 2). Mechanical Blade: The blade of this weapon has been converted into something akin to a chainsaw, with blades that spin and gnash. Such weapons are hard to wield, but deal ferocious blows. The weapon takes a -2 penalty to accuracy, but wounds dealt by it inflict a -2 penalty instead of a -1 to all throws. Only applies to slashing weapons, such as sabers and glaives. The blade can operate for a number of rounds equal to the crafter's Engineering (minimum two rounds). Thermal: '''The blade of the weapon heats up to extreme temperatures, letting it slice through the heaviest of armor. The weapon ignores armor bonuses to Fortitude. The blade can only stay hot enough to function for a number of rounds equal to the wielder's Engineering (minimum two round). '''Sword Pistol: '''This weapon has a small pistol built into it, allowing it to be used as both a ranged and a melee weapon. (see sword-pistol under ranged weapons, below). Additionally, when mounted on a thrusting weapon (such as as word or a spear), the pistol can be fired at point bank range following a stab, dealing a deadly blow. Such an attack deals +4 coins of damage, and requires the expenditure of a point of Breath. '''Explosive: The head of this weapon has been fitted with a tiny bomb that detonates on impact. Much akin to the sword pistol, an explosive weapon deals +4 damage to the target on it's first blow. After striking, such weapons need to be reloaded, requiring a draw action. Generally only applies to bludgeoning weapons, such as hammers and gauntlets. Poison-Injection: The weapon contains a hidden cache of poison, which can be dispensed onto the blade through hidden pumps. Poison is sold separately, and deals damage according to the poison table. Only applies to edged weapons. Collapsing: These weapons having spring-loaded telescoping shafts, or otherwise fold down into a smaller size. Unless otherwise noted, Telescoping weapons are reduced one size categories when so collapsed, and can be deployed with a draw action. Multi-weapon: '''Multi-weapons can be configured into multiple forms. Examples include staves that break apart into three section staves, glaives who's handles fold down such that the blade can be used as a saber, and swords that break apart into bladed chain whips. Changing a weapon between it's forms is a free action. A weapon can have more than two forms, so long as the mechanics of it can be justified; an outlaw may wield a staff that breaks into a three section staff, which in turn breaks into a nine-section whip, and so on and so forth. Section Four: Ranged Weapons Ranged weapons include all manner of firearms, as well as bows, crossbows, and throwing weapons. Ranged weapons are broken into one-handed '''Pistols '''and two-handed '''Longarms. Some ranged weapons include variant ammunition, such as the poison injector rounds for dart guns and scattershot rounds for hand cannons. Details for such are listed below the main weapon. Bows and crossbows can be loaded with all manner of trick arrows, which have their own section below. Firearms come in two categories: pistols, which are small one-handed weapons, and longarms, which are large two-handed weapons. Longarms tend to be more powerful and have greater range, but are much more difficult to conceal and carry. Throwing Knife: '''Knives can be used in melee or at a range. '''Throwing Spike: These spikes are designed to be thrown. Though less damaging than throwing knives, they are more accurate. Poison Needle: '''These are hypodermic needles filled with deadly poisons, converted into a missile weapon. They deal no damage on their own, but add +2C to the strength of the poison they are delivering. These needles are commonly loaded into Dart Pistols and Dart Launchers. '''Dart Pistol: This is essentially a handgun modified to fire pneumatic darts instead of bullets. They fire steel darts like tiny crossbow bolts, but are usually fitted with injection needles to better deliver poisons instead. Injection rounds deal no damage sharpshooting damage, but add +2C to the strength of the poison being delivered. Dart Launcher: '''These tiny dart launchers are powered by either springs or pneumatic cartridges, and are usually hidden in the sleeves. Like the dart pistol, they are often loaded with injection needles to deliver poisons. Injection rounds deal no damage, but add +2C to the strength of the poison being delivered. '''Sleeve Pistol: '''This is a single shot light pistol, designed to be highly concealable. Often hidden up sleeves, hence the name. '''Light Pistol: A light pistol is a small, easily concealed handgun that fires a small caliber round. Most are designed in a pepperbox style, with a series of rotating barrels, each holding one bullet. Heavy Pistol: These are larger handguns, usually firing heavier caliber bullets. Again, most are are built a five-barrel pepperbox design, though some will also use a single barrel with rotating chambers, and others will use spring-loaded magazines. Hand Cannon: These are absolutely massive smoothbore handguns, essentially shortbarreled blunderbusses. Hand cannons typically only have barrel and must be reloaded with a fresh cartridge between shots, though multi-barrel hand cannons are common. They can loaded with either solid slug rounds, or with packets of tiny shot. Scattershot grants an extra +2C to accuracy, but the effectiveness of armor is doubled against it. Repeater crossbow: This ancient Chinese weapon has improved with time, and repeater crossbows are almost as common as firearms in the modern day. Most contemporary repeater crossbows use a lever or a pump action under the body of the crossbow to reload. Though they lack the stopping power of a firearms, crossbows are silent and can be loaded with trick arrows. Compound bow: Though something of antiquity, the compound bow is still favored amongst Mongolian and Manchu Bannermen, who hold a long history of archery. Like the crossbow, contemporary compound bows can make use of a great number of specialty arrows. Carbine: '''A carbine is a smaller, shorter rifle, originally designed to be used from horseback. Because of it's more compact design, it's more maneuverable in close-quarters, making it preferable for urban combat. '''Rifle: A long-barreled firearm, intending for long-range accuracy. Some rifles use internal magazines to store ammunition, while others have rotating chambers that align with the barrels. Blunderbuss: '''A massive smoothbore firearm, the blunderbuss fires either solid slugs or packets of shot. Like the hand cannon, each barrel holds a single cartridge, though multiple barrel blunderbusses are common. Blunderbusses can be loaded with scattershot instead of solid slugs; scattershot grants an extra +2C to accuracy, but the effectiveness of armor is doubled against it. '''Grenade Launcher: '''This weapon looks like large blunderbuss, but instead fires grenades via pneumatic pressure. For a full roster of grenade types, see Table Five: Explosives below. Grenade Launchers may not be loaded with Land Mines. Why would you even try that. '''Firearm Modifications: Targetting Scope: Firearm may be fitted with a scope for long-range aiming. By taking a full round to aim and fire a shot, the shooter may negate accuracy penalties for long and medium range. Sword-Pistol: The gun is built into the hilt of a sword, the haft of an axe, or otherwise some part of a melee weapon. This modification can only be applied to pistols; longarms are too bulky to be built into melee weapons, even large ones. The full description of sword-pistols is in "Technological Augmentations", above. Collapsible: The gun has a a collapsible stock and barrel, allowing it to be broken down for storage. It grants the gun an extra level of concealment, but it takes a full round to deploy the weapon (or a movement action with the quick draw feat). Extra ammo: '''The weapon has a larger magazine, or just more barrels. It holds twice the normal amount of ammo. '''Bayonet: This simple blade may be affixed to any long-arm, allowing it to double as a crude spear. It deals damage as a knife in melee. Specialty Arrows: High tech “trick arrows” are popular amongst modern archers, especially as they find themselves increasingly marginalized by firearms. Any compound bow, crossbow, dart pistol, or dart launcher can be loaded with such ammunition. Exploding Arrows: These arrows have a small, “cherry bomb” sized explosive charge placed in the arrow shaft, and detonate on impact. In addition to normal damage, it deals damage as a Cherry Bomb (see explosives below). The extra weight subtracts -1C from the base accuracy and damage of the arrow. I'ncendiary Arrows': These arrows are filled with a highly flammable liquid, and made with a delicate shaft that shatters on impact, covering the target in flame. They' deal (Alchemistry)C fire damage on top of normal damage. The extra weight subtracts -1C from the base accuracy and damage of the arrow. Electrical Arrows: '''These arrows have a charged capacitor built into them, and deliver an electrical shock upon impact. They deal an extra (Engineering+2)C of electrical damage. The extra weight subtracts -1C from the base accuracy and damage of the arrow. '''Rocket Arrows: These arrows have tiny rockets built into the shaft, allowing them to fly for greater distances. Rocket arrows add an extra sixty feet to the arrow's longest range increment. Rocket arrows can be, and often are, exploding arrows. Grappling Arrow: These arrows are tied to a lightweight, high tension fiber that can be hooked to the archer's belt or the saddle of a horse. The heads are designed with barbed hooks, ideal for anchoring into a target. Section Five: Explosives Explosives have been essential part of Chinese warfare for the better part of the last millenium, and are considered just as central a part of combat as swords and guns. Explosives can either be thrown directly in combat, or laid as part of a trap for the enemy to walk into. Cherry Bomb: '''A tiny grenade, roughly the size of a cherry. These are often used for stealth attacks, fitted to arrows, and cooked up by garage alchemists. '''Grenade: '''A standard size grenade, roughly the size of an apple. The most commonly used grenade weapon. '''Landmine: A large explosive, meant for setting up traps. Impractical but devastating. Landmines cannot be thrown or loaded into a grenade launcher; they are purely used for setting traps. Incendiary Grenade: These grenades are filled with a powerful incendiary gel. Anyone damaged by them is lit on fire, and will take decreasing increments of damage each round (3 coins on the second round, 2 on the third, 1 on the fourth) until they put themselves out. Flashbang: ' These grenades create a thunderous sound and flash of light, blinding and deafening all who affected. Anyone who fails there Fortitude check is stunned for the subsequent round. '''Smoke Bomb: ' These grenades deal no damage, but fill the air with thick vapor, requiring an Awareness check to identify anything or anyone more than 5' away, and imposing a -4 penalty on Awareness checks and any ranged attack rolls. '''Blinding Smoke: These grenades are similar to smoke bombs, except that the smoke burns the eyes and lungs, causing blindness Anyone who fails their fortitude save is blinded; anyone who fails by double is blinded and stunned for their next round. They remain blinded until they are removed from the cloud, until they are cured with a Medicine check equal to the damage they took from the gas. Poison Smoke: An explosive canister filled with a potent neurotoxin. Upon detonation, these grenades create a 20' cloud of vapor, creating obscuring smoke and dealing poison damage to all who inhale it. Poison damage does not take effect until the round after it was administered. Whether a disabled target is killed, paralyzed, or rendered unconscious depends on the intent of the poison. Section Six: Rocketry and Heavy Weapons The most advanced and devestating of weapons. Heavy weapons deal a great deal of damage, but are quite expensive and unwieldly. Heavy weapons include rocket launchers, fire throwers, and other such weapons rarely seen outside of a battlefield. These weapons to be large, unwieldy, and extremely powerful. Flamethrower: A flamethrower shoots a stream of burning fuel that covers an area 5' wide and 25' long. A personal fire thrower uses an underbarrel tank of fuel, capable of two shots before needing to be reloaded. flamethrowers use a back-mounted fuel reserve. Thunder Cannon: '''One of the most ingenious and mysterious weapons to emerge of recent years. Capacitor rifles fire a potent electrical charge, sending bolts of lightning arcing through the air. Due to the highly conductive nature of most armor, damage from a Thunder Cannon ignores armor. In order to be powered, Capacitor gun must be hooked up to a Steam Dynamo (see miscellaneous equipment, below). Section Seven: Drugs and Poisons Poisons: Poisons come in many forms, but can be sorted accorded to two variables: means and administration and effect. Poisons can be administered either through ingestion, injection, or inhalation. Ingested poisons are usually concealed in food or wine. Injected poisons are usually administered by way of weapons, and one dose is enough for a single blow. Inhaled poisons are dispersed into poisonous smokes, and those who inhale them suffer their damage each round they are exposed. Damage from Poison: Damage is rolled against Fortitude, if the target rolls higher, than they have overcome the effects of the poison. If they fail, then they will suffer the effects for the remainder of the scene, or until an antidote is administered. Common Poisons by desired effect: '''Paralytic Toxin: These neurotoxins are often distilled from insect and animal venoms. They shut down motor functions, making movement difficult. The target suffers a penalty to all actions, as per the wound track, but suffers no stunning effect. No fortitude save is rolled. Nauseant: These poisons are often distilled from poisonous plants, and induce severe nausea, vertigo, or pain. The afflicted target must make a Fortitude check each round in order to act. Lethal Poison: This poison gradually and insidiously spreads through body, shutting down vital functions. Each round, the target takes an additional wound point, until treated. Very dangerous. Energy Blocker. These poisons inhibit the natural flow of vital energy through the body. For every point of wounding that a target would normally take, they instead lose a point of Breath. Additionally, while under it's affects, a target must pass a Fortitude save to use Breath each round. Blinding. These poisons temporarily deprive one of sight. The target must pass Fortitude check or lose use of their sight for the rest of the scene. These toxins are usually deployed as a gas or powder thrown in the eyes. Hallucinogenic: These drugs cause the target to hallucinate and behave erratically, sometimes causing fear, anxiety, or giddiness. Each round, the target must a Fortitude check in order to act rationally; a player who fails this save will be placed under the control of the Narrator for that round. Sleeping agent: These drugs cause the target to dose off into a slumber. Typically administered in food or drink, the target must pass Fortitude check or fall asleep. These drugs cannot be used in combat; human adrenaline naturally counters it's effects. Hypnotic: These drugs render the brain loose and suggestible, without the obvious tells of more potent drugs. The target suffers wounding penalties to all Empathy, Awareness, Diplomacy, Bravado, and Deception checks, and must first make a Fortitude checks in order to avoid telling the truth when asked. Section Eight: Armor In age dominated by firearms, chemical weapons, and covert assassinations, armor is not terribly common in the Two Kingdoms. That said, armor has evolved along with weaponry, and most forms are a combination of high strength steel alloys and chemically treated antiballistic cloth. Such armor is heavy and restrictive of mobility, but offers protection against blades and bullets. Mechanical power is a new sight of the battlefield; fully sealed suits of steel armor augmented by pneumatic pistons that enhances the wearers physical strength. Such armor affords great protection, but can only run for so long before the steam engine that keeps them moving dies down. Mechanical Armor: A full suit of combat armor,which a system of steam driven pneumatics running through the joints to enhance the wearer's strength and support the weight of the armor. A suit of mechanical armor adds a +1 bonus to the wearer's Vigor score. The miniature steam engines that power these suits of armor can run for one hour before needing to be refueled. Armor that has run out of power can still be moved in, but at a reduced speed, and the strength bonus is lost. Includes a helmet, gas mask, and goggles. Goggles: Goggles protect a wearer's eyes from blindness caused by blinding gas and flashbangs. Respirator: A filter that is fitted over the face, protecting against airborne toxins. Respirator's protect the wearer from inhaled gasses. When struck with a poison gas attack, someone equipped with a respirator may make an evasion check to equip it before inhaling any of the gas. Section Nine: Mobility Gear Lockpicks: A set of thin wires and rods used for undoing locks; having proper lockpicks adds two coins to Security checks made to pick locks. Grappling Hook: A lightweight steel grapnel attacked to a length of silk or hemp rope. Grappling hooks can be used to climb sheer surfaces. Using a grappling hook adds two coins to acrobatics checks made to climb vertical surfaces. Grappling hooks are commonly built into arrows and bolts to be fired from dart pistols or crossbows. Glider Wings: A large set of silken wings on bamboo struts, these artificial wings allow their wearer to glide long distances. They have a small attached tank of compressed gas, in order to elevate and accelerate quickly. A character using a glider can glide through the air via Piloting checks. Glider Wings are favored by airship pirates as a way to covertly move amongst the clouds and board target ships. Breathing Tube: A small wooden or metal tube often used by swimmers and those hiding beneath the water. Breathing tubes can be as simple a reed, or as sophisticated as curved pipes that strap to the swimmer's face, allowing him to swim just beneath the surface without needing to emerge for air. Breathing Tank: A tank of compressed air that allows a swimmer to breath underwater. A breathing tank typically holds two hours worth of oxygen. al